"And there was evening, and there was morning" (Genesis 1 NIV)
Have you ever looked at Genesis like a poem? Have you ever considered the creation story to be a beautiful love poem to us? I did not until I listened to this amazing podcast that rocked my world. I started listening to the BEMA podcast while on a mission trip with my host family. They played us this podcast and my whole perspective on the meaning of Genesis 1 changed forever. I am not going to give a word by wordplay on what the podcast said, but wanted to dive into one part that made me look at the idea of "resting" differently.
In the podcast, they discuss how it starts with "evening" and not "morning." We say our days start in the morning with productivity, but the podcast said the Lord wanted us to start our days with "rest." That is why it says "evening" instead of "morning." This part is listed after each day and then on the seventh day, God said it was holy and did not start a new day as an invitation to us to start our days with rest. It also discussed the importance of Sabbath and that holy day.
I am not going to get biblical, but I wanted this message about not finding our worth in productivity to be talked about a little this morning. I also planned my days the night before… I would wake up, workout, cook, go to work, homework, walk the dog, etc. then come back to some nice Netflix and a bubble bath. "Was it a successful day?" I would ask myself based on all the things I did that day instead of all the quiet time I had in rest with the Lord that day.
What a crazy concept. Looking at Genesis 1 like a poem to me stating, "child don't find your worth in productivity" means so much because we as humans tend to do that. We want to be the best of the best at everything we do and to do that we work, and work, and never stop working. God wants us to know since we are created in His image, we are "very good." Notice after every other creation he says "it was good" but after the creation of us, he says "it was very good." We are not "perfect" human beings regardless of how hard we try to be. We strive to be the busiest by comparing schedules, we want to be the best at what we do so we put in the hours, but when can we allow ourselves to be the best at just being us? When is it socially okay for us to rest and spend time in quiet to renew our minds?
I am currently a full-time missionary with not much responsibility besides ministry. Back in the states, I was busy all day and would find fun things to do at night. Out here when I am not doing ministry, I end up finding things for myself to do just to be busy. I won't get home until December 1st and I am already car and job searching. I want to learn how to REST and BE. Who is with me?
I encourage you to go back and read Genesis 1 sweet friends, look closely at what it is trying to tell us. Find your worth in the heavenly father, not in your earthly desires. You were created and you were "very good" to God. You are loved for who you are and not what you do.
